1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of hazardous waste management, and more particularly to accessing pressurized members, such as compressed gas cylinders, or pipes or pipelines containing fluids under pressure, particularly compressed gases. The invention is particularly useful in preparation for identifying the contents of compressed gas cylinders and/or for their disposal. Pressurized members of unknown contents, including hazardous gases, such as compressed gas cylinders, are frequently found in storage areas, at hazardous waste sites, and at other locations. Often these containers are in corroded condition, with the labelling missing or deteriorated so that the contents cannot be determined from the labelling, and often the valves furnished with the containers have corroded or have deteriorated so as to be unusable. The present concern with safe disposal of hazardous wastes, and particularly toxic materials, has created a need for methods and apparatus to enable the safe sampling and identification of such materials, particularly to identify the contents of pressurized containers whose valves are inoperable, to aid in their disposal. The invention is also particularly useful in providing a safe means to sample fluids in pipes and pipelines under pressure without shutting down and purging the pipe or pipeline section.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pressurized containers, most frequently compressed gas cylinders, whose contents are unknown and cannot be sampled because the valve of the member is inoperable, presents a problem to the safe transportation of the containers and disposal of their contents. Prior to the present invention, one method of disposal was to detonate the container, which is a highly dangerous procedure often causing the uncontrolled release of the unknown contents into the atmosphere. Another method which permits sampling of the contents prior to disposal is to place the container into a larger, pressure vessel, and puncturing the container or forcing its valve to open to release the contents into the pressure vessel. The said latter procedure is illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,690,180 and 4,944,333. The use of a pressure vessel for containment of the container and its unknown contents, requires that a suitable vessel be available, often at the site, as containers of unknown contents usually cannot be transported. In addition, due to the size of such pressure vessels, equipment such as lifts or cranes are required to manipulate the pressure vessel. Furthermore, such pressure vessels are often costly, and are not readily available in the quantities required for the efficient sampling of a number of pressurized containers, such as is found in an industrial waste disposal site.
The present invention is advantageous over the procedures and apparatus of the prior art, in that access and sampling of the contents of pressurized members are accomplished without the use of pressure vessels into which the contents are to be released. Another advantage of the present invention is that portions of the apparatus can remain on the member for further use in assisting in the disposal of its contents.